Netflix was having some serious shipping and website problems Monday, and today our inbox is flooded with happy customers asking us to congratulate Netflix. Why?
apologies
Netflix Gives Good Apology To Customers For Monday's Delays
By 3.26.08
3. Give conciliatory gift of monetary value.
Restaurant Gives 25% Discount To Birthday Diners, Writes "Bug On Food" For Reason On Check
By 3.25.08
A restaurant in Dubai gave a 25% discount to a party of birthday diners after they found four bugs in their food. Says a restaurant official, “The guys thought being friendly and having a joke about the environment would relax the diners because it was a birthday, but unfortunately it didn’t.” We sort of think after the second or third bug, you should probably just comp the meal—and then shut down the restaurant for fumigation.
Everything About This Sears Order Is Wrong
By 3.21.08
Half an hour of arguing on the phone with a Sears rep and I was able to get the discount credited back to my card, but no free shipping, and it could take 10-14 days for them to “trace” my $20 blow gun. I am filing a claim with my credit card issuer just to be safe. This is the same company that sends me a free ratchet in the mail every time I exchange one in the store, so I can’t complain too much.
This order is tragic. Just another reason customers avoid Sears like bird flu and the company can’t turn a profit. If Sears further bungles the response or fails to send a free ratchet, share the failure with Sears’ executive office—but don’t ask for Mr. Lewis. He was fired for gross incompetence.
IHOP Agrees That Workers Shouldn't Scrub Ceiling Tiles Directly Over Your Food
By 3.12.08
We get fewer gross food stories than you might imagine here at Consumerist, and this one made us cringe. Reader Richard saw a maintenance person scrubbing down some ceiling tiles while standing on a food prep counter… that was in use. Yeah. Ew.
Rite Aid District Manager Successfully Handles A Customer Complaint
By 2.19.08
With all the customer service horror stories we post, you’d think businesses in the United States have lost the ability to treat their customers with respect—and by and large, you’d be right.
Comcast Recommends That You Switch To Verizon, Then Apologizes
By 2.18.08
Reader Brian sent us this transcript of a conversation that he had with a Comcast rep. He was considering switching to Verizon and was wondering if Comcast could come up with any reason why he should stay. They couldn’t. In fact, Comcast’s CSR “Mike” said: “my advice is to go ahead and switch, and if you find Comacst provides a fast and more reliable service we will welcome you back.”
Dreamhost Is "Very Very Sorry" For $7.5 Million Billing Error
By 1.15.08
Dreamhost would like you to know that its very very sorry for accidentally billing its customers $7.5 million it wasn’t actually owed. You see, someone typed 2008 when they really meant 2007 and their billing system decided to charge all of their customers in advance for the entire 2008 calendar year. This included debiting huge amounts of money from people’s checking accounts and all the “worst possible scenario” situations you could possibly imagine.
TGIFridays Apologizes For Refusing Service To Disabled Teen
By 12.11.07
The manager at T.G.I. Friday’s in Wheeling told the Arlington Heights family on Saturday that the restaurant couldn’t accommodate Dawn even after Greenberg showed him her Public Access card, which explains the Americans With Disabilities Act.
How To Apologize
By 9.26.07
Some companies just don’t know how to say they’re sorry when they flub up customer service. Since we know many of them read our blog, here’s a primer from wikiHow on how to go about your next mea culpa.
The Unpleasant Truth Behind Mattel's Unexpected Apology
By 9.23.07
Mattel takes full responsibility for these recalls and apologises personally to you, the Chinese people and all of our customers who received the toys. It is important for everyone to understand that the vast majority of these products that we recalled were the result of a flaw in Mattel’s design, not through a manufacturing flaw in Chinese manufacturers.
Google Is Sorry, Will Offer Full Refunds To Video Customers
By 8.22.07
Google has admitted to making a mistake with its poorly conceived (and received) plan to offer Google check out credits to customers who had purchased videos on its recently discontinued video download service.
Intel Apologizes For "Insensitive" and "Insulting" Ad
By 8.2.07
Intel’s intent of our ad titled “Multiply Computing Performance and Maximize the Power of Your Employees” was to convey the performance capabilities of our processors through the visual metaphor of a sprinter. We have used the visual of sprinters in the past successfully.
Jo-Ann Fabrics' CEO Apologizes For Refusing To Let Woman Use Bathroom As Diarrhea Ran Down Her Pants
By 7.18.07
Jo-Ann Fabrics is sending out apology emails to people who write them in about a customer who was refused access to the bathroom even as she suffered diarrhea right in front of the employees.
We made a mistake. We re very sorry for any frustration and embarrassment that we caused our customer at the Logansport, Indiana, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store on Friday, June 29.
Home Depot Is Still Really Sorry That You Hate Them
By 5.29.07
This year’s meeting was, by Joe’s account, much more pleasant.
“The first thing Mr. Blake did when he got up on the stage was he apologized for last years meeting and he said it wouldn’t happen again.”
Home Depot is turning into JetBlue when it comes to constant apologizing. —MEGHANN MARCO
Comcast: We're Sorry, Have Some Popcorn!
By 5.23.07
I have attached a photo of something that arrived in the mail for me from Comcast. I had a problem with a bill where they had charged me twice for something. After exhausting the normal channels, I e-mailed the CEO. The very next day a nice woman from his office called me and said someone from the local office would be in touch. Not half an hour later did I get a call from the local office. Of course, it wasn’t just that easy, but eventually the situation was sorted out. So I was surprised to see a box with a big tin of popcorn waiting for me when I got home along with a card that says “Thank you for being a Comcast customer. We’re sorry for any inconvenience you may have experienced. Our goal, as always, is to give you our best service. We appreciate your understanding.”
JetBlue CEO Apology Marathon Enters Its Second Month
By 4.23.07
“As long as I’m head of this company, it will never happen again,” JetBlue CEO David Neeleman testified at a House subcommittee hearing, where he also argued against proposals to restrict how long delayed airplanes can wait on airport tarmacs before passengers have the right to deplane.
